Thoughts about Richard Montgomery HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just like Blair, the magnet is super but that’s about it. Non magnet portion is like any other MCPS HS (not counting BCC and w schools).

Yup, they add the magnets to the schools that need the most boost in test scores. QO is just as good as RM without the magnet. Cheaper real estate too. Rockville is trying to improve Twinbrook, but I don't see it turning even after all the massive construction.

It isn't a bad school, but it sure is cliquey. They try to say it is diverse and it is, but they all hang out with their own at RM.

Agree with this. I am in RM cluster and all this talk of diversity is fine in theory, but practically kids segregate themselves.

If them school is really diverse, then no, they dont. At least not in elementary. My (white) DS has 2 besties - chinese and south american descent ones. Plus rest of his friends can probably form a UN session (Zimbabwe, Russia, Japan, Ireland, England, Mexico, etc)

It changes in high school. Trust me. The IB kids only hang out with each other and then most of the same with each race. Sports are possibly the only factor that changes that temporarily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either CG or TB has to move out of RM cluster due to over crowding. CG may help with balancing diversity in Gaithersburg/Crown so I expect CG to move out of RM cluster.

Keep in mind that there are broader redistricting issues in play here as well. When it's all said and done, I would not be surprised to see TB move to Wootton or Churchill to balance out demographics better. It's a pretty easy commute from TB to both schools.

Unlikely when students in the northwestern parts of Twinbrook can easily walk to RM.

DP.. We live in Horizon Hill. We could easily walk to Wootton, and 20 or so years ago, this neighborhood was in fact zoned for Wootton. But MCPS decided that RM needed more upper income families, so now our kids take a bus to RM. Not that I'm complaining, since we purposefully picked RM cluster over Wootton (we looked in Fallsmead neighborhood which is literally across the street from HH neighborhood), but MCPS doesn't care if the HS kids could literally walk to school if it means that there is more diversity spread around. So don't put too much stock into "but that school is so much closer that my kids could walk to it".

THIS HAPPENED IN 1987.

Yes it did. It's an example how of MCPS can and will zone a walkable neighborhood from one school to a school further away that's not walkable, as in TB to Churchill or Wootton, which is what I was addressing.. that MCPS has done this before, and I don't see why they wouldn't do it again.

1987 was 32 years ago.

In 1987, the Montgomery County population was about 703,000; Gorbachev was calling for glasnost; and Whitney Houston was singing that she wants to dance with somebody.

So what if it was 1987. What difference does it make who was in power and who was a pop star? The point is that MCPS has done this kind of thing before.

RMHS was under capacity. It was majority low income. They rezoned a wealthy neighborhood that had a walkable HS to RM, added a magnet, and now it's one of the most diverse HS clusters in the county. Why wouldn't MCPS do it again, but the other way around?

Yeah, but most families just moved their kids to private schools when that happened in the late 80's. You can say the decrease in numbers on the enrollment stats. Eventually it moved up some, but HH still has a ton of families that send their kids to private and parochial schools. RM is not a draw to HH. It is being close in to 270/beltway without having to pay Potomac prices and being close to Temples and other private schools with once again, not paying the prices. If people are wanting RM, there are a lot of other cheaper neighborhoods to be a part of.

RM is overcrowded, the whole cluster has always been neglected, and besides the IB program, it does not have a great reputation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either CG or TB has to move out of RM cluster due to over crowding. CG may help with balancing diversity in Gaithersburg/Crown so I expect CG to move out of RM cluster.

Keep in mind that there are broader redistricting issues in play here as well. When it's all said and done, I would not be surprised to see TB move to Wootton or Churchill to balance out demographics better. It's a pretty easy commute from TB to both schools.

Unlikely when students in the northwestern parts of Twinbrook can easily walk to RM.

DP.. We live in Horizon Hill. We could easily walk to Wootton, and 20 or so years ago, this neighborhood was in fact zoned for Wootton. But MCPS decided that RM needed more upper income families, so now our kids take a bus to RM. Not that I'm complaining, since we purposefully picked RM cluster over Wootton (we looked in Fallsmead neighborhood which is literally across the street from HH neighborhood), but MCPS doesn't care if the HS kids could literally walk to school if it means that there is more diversity spread around. So don't put too much stock into "but that school is so much closer that my kids could walk to it".

THIS HAPPENED IN 1987.

Yes it did. It's an example how of MCPS can and will zone a walkable neighborhood from one school to a school further away that's not walkable, as in TB to Churchill or Wootton, which is what I was addressing.. that MCPS has done this before, and I don't see why they wouldn't do it again.

1987 was 32 years ago.

In 1987, the Montgomery County population was about 703,000; Gorbachev was calling for glasnost; and Whitney Houston was singing that she wants to dance with somebody.

So what if it was 1987. What difference does it make who was in power and who was a pop star? The point is that MCPS has done this kind of thing before.

RMHS was under capacity. It was majority low income. They rezoned a wealthy neighborhood that had a walkable HS to RM, added a magnet, and now it's one of the most diverse HS clusters in the county. Why wouldn't MCPS do it again, but the other way around?

Yeah, but most families just moved their kids to private schools when that happened in the late 80's. You can say the decrease in numbers on the enrollment stats. Eventually it moved up some, but HH still has a ton of families that send their kids to private and parochial schools. RM is not a draw to HH. It is being close in to 270/beltway without having to pay Potomac prices and being close to Temples and other private schools with once again, not paying the prices. If people are wanting RM, there are a lot of other cheaper neighborhoods to be a part of.

RM is overcrowded, the whole cluster has always been neglected, and besides the IB program, it does not have a great reputation.

Your post in no way addresses the point of my post. Sure, some people send their kids to private. Guess what.. some folks in W clusters send their kids to private schools also.

This fact in no way addresses my point that MCPS has in the past for diversity and capacity reasons zoned neighborhoods from walkable to non walkable schools, and they will probably continue to do this in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just like Blair, the magnet is super but that’s about it. Non magnet portion is like any other MCPS HS (not counting BCC and w schools).

Yup, they add the magnets to the schools that need the most boost in test scores. QO is just as good as RM without the magnet. Cheaper real estate too. Rockville is trying to improve Twinbrook, but I don't see it turning even after all the massive construction.

It isn't a bad school, but it sure is cliquey. They try to say it is diverse and it is, but they all hang out with their own at RM.

Agree with this. I am in RM cluster and all this talk of diversity is fine in theory, but practically kids segregate themselves.

If them school is really diverse, then no, they dont. At least not in elementary. My (white) DS has 2 besties - chinese and south american descent ones. Plus rest of his friends can probably form a UN session (Zimbabwe, Russia, Japan, Ireland, England, Mexico, etc)

It changes in high school. Trust me. The IB kids only hang out with each other and then most of the same with each race. Sports are possibly the only factor that changes that temporarily.

The IB kids are a fraction of the student body, and in any magnet school, magnet kids hang out with each other, even in CES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Your post in no way addresses the point of my post. Sure, some people send their kids to private. Guess what.. some folks in W clusters send their kids to private schools also.

This fact in no way addresses my point that MCPS has in the past for diversity and capacity reasons zoned neighborhoods from walkable to non walkable schools, and they will probably continue to do this in the future.

32! years! ago!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either CG or TB has to move out of RM cluster due to over crowding. CG may help with balancing diversity in Gaithersburg/Crown so I expect CG to move out of RM cluster.

Keep in mind that there are broader redistricting issues in play here as well. When it's all said and done, I would not be surprised to see TB move to Wootton or Churchill to balance out demographics better. It's a pretty easy commute from TB to both schools.

Unlikely when students in the northwestern parts of Twinbrook can easily walk to RM.

DP.. We live in Horizon Hill. We could easily walk to Wootton, and 20 or so years ago, this neighborhood was in fact zoned for Wootton. But MCPS decided that RM needed more upper income families, so now our kids take a bus to RM. Not that I'm complaining, since we purposefully picked RM cluster over Wootton (we looked in Fallsmead neighborhood which is literally across the street from HH neighborhood), but MCPS doesn't care if the HS kids could literally walk to school if it means that there is more diversity spread around. So don't put too much stock into "but that school is so much closer that my kids could walk to it".

THIS HAPPENED IN 1987.

Yes it did. It's an example how of MCPS can and will zone a walkable neighborhood from one school to a school further away that's not walkable, as in TB to Churchill or Wootton, which is what I was addressing.. that MCPS has done this before, and I don't see why they wouldn't do it again.

1987 was 32 years ago.

In 1987, the Montgomery County population was about 703,000; Gorbachev was calling for glasnost; and Whitney Houston was singing that she wants to dance with somebody.

So what if it was 1987. What difference does it make who was in power and who was a pop star? The point is that MCPS has done this kind of thing before.

RMHS was under capacity. It was majority low income. They rezoned a wealthy neighborhood that had a walkable HS to RM, added a magnet, and now it's one of the most diverse HS clusters in the county. Why wouldn't MCPS do it again, but the other way around?

Yeah, but most families just moved their kids to private schools when that happened in the late 80's. You can say the decrease in numbers on the enrollment stats. Eventually it moved up some, but HH still has a ton of families that send their kids to private and parochial schools. RM is not a draw to HH. It is being close in to 270/beltway without having to pay Potomac prices and being close to Temples and other private schools with once again, not paying the prices. If people are wanting RM, there are a lot of other cheaper neighborhoods to be a part of.

RM is overcrowded, the whole cluster has always been neglected, and besides the IB program, it does not have a great reputation.

I am guessing no one who bought their house before 1987 has kids at Ritchie Park now since it has been 32 years!. New families either were fine with RM or planned on private regardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just like Blair, the magnet is super but that’s about it. Non magnet portion is like any other MCPS HS (not counting BCC and w schools).

Yup, they add the magnets to the schools that need the most boost in test scores. QO is just as good as RM without the magnet. Cheaper real estate too. Rockville is trying to improve Twinbrook, but I don't see it turning even after all the massive construction.

It isn't a bad school, but it sure is cliquey. They try to say it is diverse and it is, but they all hang out with their own at RM.

Agree with this. I am in RM cluster and all this talk of diversity is fine in theory, but practically kids segregate themselves.

If them school is really diverse, then no, they dont. At least not in elementary. My (white) DS has 2 besties - chinese and south american descent ones. Plus rest of his friends can probably form a UN session (Zimbabwe, Russia, Japan, Ireland, England, Mexico, etc)

It changes in high school. Trust me. The IB kids only hang out with each other and then most of the same with each race. Sports are possibly the only factor that changes that temporarily.

The IB kids are a fraction of the student body, and in any magnet school, magnet kids hang out with each other, even in CES.

Even in regular schools, starting from MS, kids start to hang out with other kids in their own race - provided that there is a big enough pool to choose from. i.e. if one race only has about 2% in the student population, they may not have the momentum to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Even in regular schools, starting from MS, kids start to hang out with other kids in their own race - provided that there is a big enough pool to choose from. i.e. if one race only has about 2% in the student population, they may not have the momentum to do that.

This assertion comes up regularly on DCUM, I regularly pass it on to my kids ("Hey, kids, DCUM says that you hang out with kids of your own race!"), and they regularly roll their eyes in disbelief.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Even in regular schools, starting from MS, kids start to hang out with other kids in their own race - provided that there is a big enough pool to choose from. i.e. if one race only has about 2% in the student population, they may not have the momentum to do that.

This assertion comes up regularly on DCUM, I regularly pass it on to my kids ("Hey, kids, DCUM says that you hang out with kids of your own race!"), and they regularly roll their eyes in disbelief.

You are making me roll my eyes in disbelief. Whether you like it or not, this happens. You can fault the parents, schools, and/or society for not raising kids better but your kids will be no different. Don’t act like you are so much better.

-np

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Even in regular schools, starting from MS, kids start to hang out with other kids in their own race - provided that there is a big enough pool to choose from. i.e. if one race only has about 2% in the student population, they may not have the momentum to do that.

This assertion comes up regularly on DCUM, I regularly pass it on to my kids ("Hey, kids, DCUM says that you hang out with kids of your own race!"), and they regularly roll their eyes in disbelief.

Of course there are exceptions.

And - I don't know for sure - just guessing - maybe white kids don't realize this if they have a few friends who are not white?

In DC's MS, white kids mostly hang out with white kids, Asian (Chinese and Korean) kids hang out together. Indian kids mingle with other groups more but still mostly with other Asian kids, Not too many Black kids and Hispanic kids to make a good judgement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Even in regular schools, starting from MS, kids start to hang out with other kids in their own race - provided that there is a big enough pool to choose from. i.e. if one race only has about 2% in the student population, they may not have the momentum to do that.

This assertion comes up regularly on DCUM, I regularly pass it on to my kids ("Hey, kids, DCUM says that you hang out with kids of your own race!"), and they regularly roll their eyes in disbelief.

You are making me roll my eyes in disbelief. Whether you like it or not, this happens. You can fault the parents, schools, and/or society for not raising kids better but your kids will be no different. Don’t act like you are so much better.

-np

Who said anything about better? I am just telling you about my kids and their friends. And my kids are in high school and middle school. Their schools are very diverse; maybe that's why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Either CG or TB has to move out of RM cluster due to over crowding. CG may help with balancing diversity in Gaithersburg/Crown so I expect CG to move out of RM cluster.

Keep in mind that there are broader redistricting issues in play here as well. When it's all said and done, I would not be surprised to see TB move to Wootton or Churchill to balance out demographics better. It's a pretty easy commute from TB to both schools.

Unlikely when students in the northwestern parts of Twinbrook can easily walk to RM.

DP.. We live in Horizon Hill. We could easily walk to Wootton, and 20 or so years ago, this neighborhood was in fact zoned for Wootton. But MCPS decided that RM needed more upper income families, so now our kids take a bus to RM. Not that I'm complaining, since we purposefully picked RM cluster over Wootton (we looked in Fallsmead neighborhood which is literally across the street from HH neighborhood), but MCPS doesn't care if the HS kids could literally walk to school if it means that there is more diversity spread around. So don't put too much stock into "but that school is so much closer that my kids could walk to it".

THIS HAPPENED IN 1987.

Yes it did. It's an example how of MCPS can and will zone a walkable neighborhood from one school to a school further away that's not walkable, as in TB to Churchill or Wootton, which is what I was addressing.. that MCPS has done this before, and I don't see why they wouldn't do it again.

1987 was 32 years ago.

In 1987, the Montgomery County population was about 703,000; Gorbachev was calling for glasnost; and Whitney Houston was singing that she wants to dance with somebody.

So what if it was 1987. What difference does it make who was in power and who was a pop star? The point is that MCPS has done this kind of thing before.

RMHS was under capacity. It was majority low income. They rezoned a wealthy neighborhood that had a walkable HS to RM, added a magnet, and now it's one of the most diverse HS clusters in the county. Why wouldn't MCPS do it again, but the other way around?

Yeah, but most families just moved their kids to private schools when that happened in the late 80's. You can say the decrease in numbers on the enrollment stats. Eventually it moved up some, but HH still has a ton of families that send their kids to private and parochial schools. RM is not a draw to HH. It is being close in to 270/beltway without having to pay Potomac prices and being close to Temples and other private schools with once again, not paying the prices. If people are wanting RM, there are a lot of other cheaper neighborhoods to be a part of.

RM is overcrowded, the whole cluster has always been neglected, and besides the IB program, it does not have a great reputation.

Horizon Hill has had only one bus for the entire neighborhood for at least 20 years that I was told. I know of kids on COSA's and many private school kids too, especially St. R and E's, as well as JDS. I always wondered why people would move here and go to private, but the lower cost for the area makes sense. The houses in the neighborhood right next to us go fo $150,000 more. Why pay that if you want to send to private. Move to the cheaper neighborhood and save the money. We are looking to move soon. This neighborhood has no community feel to it at all. Just a strange element overall. It isn't that RM is that bad. I have one there now and it is okay. But the ongoing overcrowding and the portables now in the middle of the parking lot, is just terrible. We rather be in a more active walkable neighborhood. Anywhere but Fallsgrove.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Your post in no way addresses the point of my post. Sure, some people send their kids to private. Guess what.. some folks in W clusters send their kids to private schools also.

This fact in no way addresses my point that MCPS has in the past for diversity and capacity reasons zoned neighborhoods from walkable to non walkable schools, and they will probably continue to do this in the future.

32! years! ago!

Yup. In boundary studies that happen during this decade, there is a "walk zone" drawn around each school (which they map out after a transportation analysis) and this area is usually not included among the areas to be rezoned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Your post in no way addresses the point of my post. Sure, some people send their kids to private. Guess what.. some folks in W clusters send their kids to private schools also.

This fact in no way addresses my point that MCPS has in the past for diversity and capacity reasons zoned neighborhoods from walkable to non walkable schools, and they will probably continue to do this in the future.

32! years! ago!

And they continue to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just like Blair, the magnet is super but that’s about it. Non magnet portion is like any other MCPS HS (not counting BCC and w schools).

Yup, they add the magnets to the schools that need the most boost in test scores. QO is just as good as RM without the magnet. Cheaper real estate too. Rockville is trying to improve Twinbrook, but I don't see it turning even after all the massive construction.

It isn't a bad school, but it sure is cliquey. They try to say it is diverse and it is, but they all hang out with their own at RM.

Agree with this. I am in RM cluster and all this talk of diversity is fine in theory, but practically kids segregate themselves.

If them school is really diverse, then no, they dont. At least not in elementary. My (white) DS has 2 besties - chinese and south american descent ones. Plus rest of his friends can probably form a UN session (Zimbabwe, Russia, Japan, Ireland, England, Mexico, etc)

It changes in high school. Trust me. The IB kids only hang out with each other and then most of the same with each race. Sports are possibly the only factor that changes that temporarily.

The IB kids are a fraction of the student body, and in any magnet school, magnet kids hang out with each other, even in CES.

Even in regular schools, starting from MS, kids start to hang out with other kids in their own race - provided that there is a big enough pool to choose from. i.e. if one race only has about 2% in the student population, they may not have the momentum to do that.

Maybe... (anecdotally, my DC's friends at JWMS are different a race from my DC).. but the chance of having a diverse group of friends and having diversity in a class goes up significantly if you live in a diverse cluster.